The Prussian Corpse Bride
by AppleBagel
Summary: When it comes to love, are there boundaries? Can a heart love after it has died? In this tale, come find an adventure that holds these questions, and maybe the answers. (2p!PruCan, 2p!Canada x 2p!Prussia, other 2ps and 1ps included. There will be Nyo's. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride!AU, with a my own twist on the story. Written by Apple. Cover image by OtherworldlyArtist.)
1. I really don't want to get Married

_The world of the living is a well known place to us, though dreary and bland it may seem, it can hold amazing instances. This is the story of one of these strange times, a tale of life, death, and marriage. This is the story of how not even death can hold love apart and how things do not always turn out how we plan. _

Oliver Kirkland, a well known baker in his town, stepped out on to his porch in his finest clothes. "It's a beautiful day!" He chimed, fixing his tie. His husband, Frankie Bonnefoy, stepped out behind him, smoking a cigarette.

"It's an okay day," He added blandly. The pink-haired man next to him smiled.

"It's a glorious day for a wedding!" He sighed happily.

"A wedding _rehearsal_." Frankie reminded him. Oliver waved his hand in dismissal.

"No matter. Our son is getting married soon! As long as nothing unexpected happens, he shall be married, and we will be part of the upper class!" Oliver sing-songed.

"Yes, we'll be able to forget everything we've ever been, and will be seen rubbing elbows with the finest. I do believe this why you agreed to marrying Matt off?" Frankie again dead-panned. Olive laughed and nodded, stepping into their carriage to go to the Braginski's household.

Natalia Braginski watched the Kirkland-Bonnefoy adults from her window. She watched Frank Bonnefoy pull their long-haired son into the carriage against his will. "It's a terrible day for a wedding," She sighed. The tall brunette man next to her nodded.

"How could we have come to this? Marrying our sister off to commoners?" Sergei scoffed at the prospect, yet it was still the happening.

"It couldn't be worse," Natalia said with a slightly disgusted tone.

"I'm afraid I disagree," Sergei replied, walking over to a safe. "We could be marrying her into a poor family without a cent to their name, much like us." He opened the safe to reveal nothing but dust and spider webs.

"Oh my. . ." Natalia groaned. "Everything must go according to plan, so we may be saved from the poor house. But who would have imagined in a million years we would have sunk this low?" She sighed and turned to go to their sister's room, Sergei right behind her.

Katyusha gasped as her corset was tightened once more. "Nadezda, what if Matt and I don't. . . Like each other?" She asked her nurse maid. Nadezda opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Sergei at the door.

"Ha! Like that has anything to do with marriage!" He laughed gruffly, with hints of bitterness in his voice. Katyusha turned her head away, frowning. That couldn't be right. . . Katyusha bit her lip and turned back to her siblings.

"I'm very sorry Sergei, Natalia." She apologized, allowing her head to drop. The addressed persons nodded stiffly and Sergei turned to walk out.

"Get those corsets laced properly now, I can hear you talking without gasping," Natalia added before following Sergei out. Katyusha muffled a groan as the corsets were tightened once more around her large bust.

Matt let out a noise of displeasure as Oliver adjusted his clothing. "Mom, let it be," He commanded. Oliver lightly smacked his arm and tightened his tie.

"Be proper, Matthew. You're meeting with high class people," Oliver admonished. "You've got to look nice!" Oliver tugged Matt's sleeves to the proper length and smoothed his jacket, ignoring Matt shoving his hands away.

Frankie tapped on Oliver's shoulder to get his attention, gesturing to the now open door. In the doorway stood a butler. He motioned them inside to a grand, but dark, entry room. Oliver smiled and walked inside, nodding at the butler, with Frankie and Matt following behind him.

As if out of nowhere, Natalia and Sergei appeared on the stairs leading into the room. They stared with hard eyes at Frankie and Oliver, before Natalia finally spoke, brushing a stray strand of light blonde hair behind her ear.

"Shall we go to the parlor for tea, Mr. Kirkland and Mr. Bonnefoy?" She asked in a stern tone. Oliver and Frankie quickly agreed, Oliver trying to chit chat with Natalia, while Frankie stayed silent, simply smoking his cigarette.

Matt sighed after they left. He didn't want to get married to some hard-faced noble like Natalia Braginski. In fact, he didn't want to get married at all. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. It was then he noticed a piano in the corner of the room. He shrugged and walked over to it, hands gliding slightly over the keys before he sat down and began to play. He'd never been professionally trained, but a neighbor by the name of Roderich had taught him one song. His fingers glided over the ivory keys. He did not notice the girl standing at the top of the stair case listening to him play.

Katyusha was attracted to the entry room by the sound of the old piano playing. Standing on the stair case, she could see the man she was supposed to marry. He was quite handsome, with wavy golden hair pulled back into a ponytail, save for one stubborn curl bouncing in front of his face, and a well sculpted face. His eyes were a shade of rust, not quite red but not quite brown. He was quite good-looking, but he was still not _him_. She walked down the stairs quietly, holding her dress with one hand. As Katyusha approached Matt, he finally looked up and saw the short-haired platinum blonde.

"Hey! What are you doing there!?" He yelped slightly, slamming down on the keys on accident. _Idiot. It's her house, Matt. _He thought, inwardly smacking himself. Katyusha just waved her hands about.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt!" She apologized, frantically flailing her arms and making her breasts jiggle madly. Matt shook his head and sighed for the umpteenth time that day.

"Agh, whatever. I take it your Katyusha?" He asked, trying to appear polite. Katyusha nodded, bringing her arms back to her sides.

"You can call me Katy though. Or Kat. Everyone does. Except my siblings," She explained, smiling slightly. Matt nodded.

"My name is Matthew James Williams. I try to go by James, but everyone just calls me Matt," He responded. His eye seemed to twitch a bit when he mentioned no one calling him James despite his wishes. Katyusha smiled and gave a small giggle before silence over took them.

. . .

. . .

The silence stayed until Natalia came back into the room. "Katyusha? What are you doing in here? The wedding rehearsal is soon! Come!"

**~*3 Hours Later*~ **

The priest Lovino growled once more. "For the love of tomatoes, get it right!" He snapped at Matt. Matt suppressed the urge to hurl insults at the Italian man. He took a deep breath and started again.

"_With this hand, I will lift your sorrows._

"_Your cup will never be empty, for I will be your wine. _

"_With this candle-"_

He reached out the candle to light it. It wasn't lighting. WHY WASN'T IT LIGHTING!? Matt released an angry hiss at the stupid candle. He tried to light it again. Still, it would not light.

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!" Matt yelled, practically snapping the candle in half. Katyusha reacted quickly, pulling his hand back and lighting his candle with her own. He gave her a whispered thank you.

"_With this Candle, I will light your way through the wine-"_

"IDIOTO!" Lovino yelled. "The vows are simple! Do you just not want to get married!?" He screeched and questioned. Matt glowered at the smaller brunette.

"Just try again," Katyusha offered quietly. Matt swallowed his anger and exhaled.

"_With this hand, I will lift your darkness-" _

"YOU **[BLEEP] **IDIOT! IT'S 'WITH THIS HAND, I WILL LIFT YOUR SORROWS. YOUR CUP WILL NEVER BE EMPTY, FOR I WILL BE YOUR WINE. WITH THIS CANDLE, I WILL LIGHT YOUR WAY THROUGH THE DARKNESS.' IS THAT SO HARD!?" Lovino snapped. The priest put a hand to his forehead. "Did you even remember to bring the ring?" He asked in an exasperated tone.

Matt glared at Lovino. "Of course I did," He said angrily. He took the ring out of his jacket, holding it between his thumb and index finger. Lovino sighed with relief.

And then, the ring popped out of his hand and rolled across the floor.

Of course. Because, why would anything want to go right for our dear Matt?

On reflex, Matt slid across the floor after it, lit candle still in hand. He did not think twice of grabbing it even after it rolled under Natalia's dark blue skirts. Natalia's small shriek was unnoticed by him.

"Got it!" He proclaimed as he pulled away from Natalia.

"HER SKIRT IS ON FIRE!" Someone screamed. Immediately, everyone rushed to put it out. It was quite a panic, with everyone moving in a flurry. Cries of "Get a bucket!" and "Stamp it out!" fled around the room.

All was suddenly stilled when a glass of wine was poured over the flames, then tossed back. It landed flawlessly on a pillar, standing upright. Everyone's eyes in the room flitted to the man who the wine glass belonged. Before their eyes stood a mysterious man, with dark copper hair that had a peculiar curl going off to the right side. His striking violet eyes had a mischievous gleam to them, along with a hint of sharp cunning. He wore a fine brown suit, making him an official looking man.

"Who are you?" Sergei questioned, cocking a thin eyebrow. The mystery man gave a scoffing laugh.

"My name is Luciano Vargas, and I came for the wedding. It appears I am too early though. Pardon my mistake, I never have been good with dates," He explained, giving a slight bow. Matt wasn't sure why, but something in this new man's voice made him distrustful. "And it seems to me our _groom _is having trouble."

Instantly, all eyes were focused on Matt. Matt's own eyes flitting over everyone as he grew increasingly uncomfortable. His right eye began to twitch.

"I'M NOT DEALING WITH THIS CRAP RIGHT NOW!" Matt declared in an infuriated tone, running over to the door and kicking it down. He ran from the church, into the forest lying outside of it. No one reacted soon enough to stop him, and after he left, Katyusha turned to everyone and started apologizing profusely for Matt.

**A/N: Hey there! It's me, Apple, again. Guess who came up with a new story? :D That's right, me! Well, this is Corpse Bride/Hetalia. It will be a multi-chapter fic. Just how many chapters? That's what I'm not so sure about. Whenever I reach the conclusion I suppose. Anyway, here's who's who: **

**Oliver Kirkland - 2p!England**

**Frankie Bonnefoy - 2p!France**

**Matt Williams - 2p!Canada**

**Natalia Braginski - 1p!Belarus (I know her last name isn't Braginski, but I made it that to tie them together. Matt is still Williams because if he has two dads, that = adopted, so I'm just guessing he kept his actual name.) **

**Sergei Braginski - 2p!Russia**

**Katyusha Braginski - 1p!Ukraine **

**Nadezda - 2p!Belarus (I just thought she would fit, okay?) **

**Lovino - Romano/South Italy **

**Luciano Vargas - 2p!North Italy **

**That's all. Have a nice day. **


	2. Welcome to the World of the Dead!

**A/N: Hey-o. Apple here. The a/n is at the top this time because I have something to say to you all. I suggest listening to the song "Into the Forest" from the Corpse Bride Soundtrack for the first part of this. Just to set the mood. Then "Remains of the day" also from the soundtrack, for the second part. You'll know when to switch, as the first ~*~ is the "SWITCH SONGS" signal :3 Okie, Apple out~! *throws self out of document***

Matt walked through the forest, still fuming from the rehearsal. He kicked the occasional tree, snapped at the animals, and just vented his frustration. Soon though, it began to get dark. The forest became more eerie, and Matt didn't even notice. He sighed and plucked a cornflower growing in the dirt off the ground. He stared at it for a moment before placing it in his coat pocket. Maybe he could give it as an apology. Then, he pulled out the ring, and he groaned. He _really _didn't want to get married.

Matt took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's try again. With this hand, I will lift your wine- no, that's not it." He smacked himself lightly. He walked further still. "With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup shall never be empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle I will- I will light your sister's dress on fire. . ." He groaned, kicking at a rock.

We walked deeper into the forest, until he stood by an old oak tree. He mentally prepared himself and started the vows again.

"_With this Hand, I will lift your sorrows._

_Your cup will never be empty, for I shall be your wine."_

He broke off a stick from a nearby tree and held it up.

"_With this Candle, I will light your way through the darkness._

"_With this ring,"_

He placed the ring on a pale wood root growing out of the ground.

"_I ask you to be mine." _

He stood and was happy with his triumph over getting the vows right. But something was amiss. All the crows in the trees cawed loudly, flying and jumping about, showing distress. Matt looked around, confused. Nothing seemed wrong. What was wrong with those stupid birds? He turned completely, watching a particularly large crow flutter its ebony wings and snap its beak at him. The smaller crows around it flew off into the sky in a dark flurry. It was beautiful in an eerie way.

_Crack. _

It sounded from behind the blonde. He faced it slowly, to see the pale wood root flexing and pulling out of the ground, the dry dirt breaking open. Gingerly, a white figure rose out of the ground.

It was stunning, but horrifying. The full moon was directly behind the figure, and its incredibly long white hair flipped and swooped violently with the wind. Its eyes were glowing blue, amazingly bright. It was clothed in a white satin suit, with rips around the arms and stomach. Gently, at an achingly slow speed, it raised one of its arms to its chest, over where a heart would be.

Nothing but the cawing of crows, the flapping of wings and the figure's white hair. Until suddenly, a soft, voice spoke.

_"I do." _

Matt acted on instinct. He raced across the woods, back towards the village, tripping over roots and branches and leaves. Twigs and thorns scrapped at him, tearing his suit, and pulling his hair. He did not care, he could not care. His only thoughts were get back to the village, get his hockey stick and _kill that thing if he had to. _

He reached the bridge between forest and village. He felt safe for a moment, catching his breath before he continued on. He looked around, his intense gaze searching the dark trees and the field before him, the waters of the river, everywhere.

No figure in sight. He stood and panted, feeling free from it.

Matt moved to get back to the village, twisting around.

And there it was. The Figure from before. Hair still moving with the wind, eyes still glowing ice blue. Matt reacted instantly, jumping back to the rails of the bridge. The Figure, it was a man, he could see now, moved closer, raising his hands to Matt's face. Matt stumbled back, still trying to get away from the man that came from the ground.

_"You may kiss the bride?" _The man inched his face closer with what sounded almost like a question, his whispery voice seemingly going with the wind's gusts. Matt gulped, stunned with fear from the ghostly man. No one usually scared him, but this man, this figure, it was different. Matt's eye sight began to black out as the ghostly man closed his own eyes and leaned close enough to the blonde that their lips touched ever so lightly. And Matt's eye sight completely blacked out, as crows feathers flew around them, and both Matt and the Man disappeared into the night.

Matt gave a disgruntled groan as his vision came back into focus. Above him were the ghostly man from before and an unknown woman with blue skin, ratty blonde pigtails, one green eye, and slightly chipped glasses.

"What happened to him?" The unknown Blonde asked, revealing an English accent.

"I think he fainted," The man from before replied.

"A new arrival~?" A French accent from an unknown source chirped.

"What is going on?" Matt grumbled, sitting up.

"He's still soft!" A small child in a sailor suit with only half his skin and a few tufts of blonde hair gasped, poking Matt's cheek.

"Stop that," Matt ordered, swatting the child's hand of bones away.

And, that was the exact moment everything started to really sink in. The skeletons and half rotted bodies playing pool and drinking beer, people with blue skin and missing eyes, the occasionally "could-pass-for-normal-if-not-for-a-few-small-thin gs" ones, and the decapitated head with long wavy blonde hair moving around by the feet of scuttling beetles under his neck.

Matt jumped up and grabbed the nearest thing he could use to defend himself, the hilt of a sword that was attached to a skeleton in an army uniform. "Whoa! What are you doing?" It yelped.

"Stay back or I'll attack!" Matt growled, pulling the sword out of the skeleton and holding it in front of him. "Now, I want some answers! Firstly, where the **[bleep] **am I!?"

The White-haired man from the forest gestured around, taking a step towards Matt. "The Underworld, or World of the dead," He said simply. Many of the others nodded.

Matt's eyes widened. Okay, that would take a while to set in. "Okay. . . Second! Who _are _you!?" This time, he gestured directly at the man.

"Your husband," He answered, seeming slightly surprised Matt didn't know. Matt was dumb struck.

"Wh- What are you talking about!?"

The white-haired man stepped forward, putting up his bony left hand. On his ring finger was, sure enough, the same golden ring Matt had put on the tree root. Except it wasn't a tree root, apparently.

"You said your vows beautifully, by the way," He added.

The blonde decapitated head scurried up right next to the man then. "'Ello, my name is Francis, and I shall be preparing your wedding feast!" He chimed, flipping his locks to the best of his ability.

"Meaning I'll be doing most the work," The Blonde English girl from before grumbled. "I'm Alice."

Another corpse jumped out from behind the man supposedly married to Matt, with his hands on the other's shoulders. "Ooo, a wedding feast! I'm salivating already!" He cooed excitedly. Alice swatted him off the silverette.

"Don't jump on people, Gilbert," She scorned.

Matt gulped, trying to process it all. Okay, so he was in the world of the dead, he was married to a corpse, and what else? Oh, he was MARRIED TO A CORPSE. That was enough to make anyone freak out, he'd think. Understanding by now no one was going to attack him, Matt dropped his sword.

"Who are you specifically?" Matt asked shakily, again gesturing directly to his apparent "bride".

The other man sighed. "That's kind of a long story. . ." He answered quietly.

"Oh, but it is _quite a story_," a new voice added.

Everyone turned to face a corpse leaning against the wall. He had dark red eyes and messy brown hair with a cowlick in his bangs. A crooked grin was stuck on his face.

Matt raised his eyebrows. "_Alfie?_" He asked in surprise. "I didn't know you died." Matt had known Alfie as a rival almost, though sometimes they acted more like competitive brothers than out right rivals.

Alfie shrugged. "I kicked the bucket about a month or two after I left the village. That was about. . . five years ago? Anyway, been making friendly with the local dead, and I know the whole long story 'bout your blushing bride there," He laughed. "It's a tale of tragedy, deception, romance, and a murder most foul. . ."

"Well what is it?" Matt asked, growing impatient with the vague answers.

Alfie chuckled before walking up to a stage and gesturing to some skeletons to start playing their instruments. Almost in a singing manner, he told the story of the "Corpse Bride" as he jokingly called him. How he had been tricked by a mysterious stranger into eloping with him, and how the stranger had murdered him. How he waited under the oak for years for someone to come ask for his hand. Everyone else seemed to sing along. Towards the end, Alfie jumped up and pushed the "Corpse Bride" into Matt's arms, still singing his story. Ending with the line, "And now look, this groovy young man has vowed to stay by her side forever!" and giving a laugh.

"Corpse Bride" pulled away from Matt to be polite, but as soon as he did, Matt began to back away and run for the door. Truth be told, he just wanted to get _out_.

Katyusha stood by the window, looking into the rain soaked streets, where the Coachman for Oliver and Frankie's coach, Lutz, stood smoking.

"Katy, come away from the window, I'm sure he'll be back soon," She heard Oliver call from behind her. Hesitantly, she drew away, worried for his safety. Katyusha sat next to her younger sister, across from Matt's parents.

Frankie pulled a drag from his cigarette. "Don't worry about Matt, he can take care of himself just fine," he said. His voice was in the same tone as always, but it made Katyusha feel a little better at least. She felt tears well up slightly in her eyes. While she wasn't truly in love with Matt, she hated the thought of anyone being in danger.

"Well, you can't have a wedding without a groom! Whatever will you do?" Luciano appeared in the doorway. A look of worry on his face. Something about it appeared faked, but it did not seem anyone noticed.

"Ah, Mr. Vargas, do not worry, all will be settled when he returns," Natalia calmly responded, though a slight bit of impatience showed in her voice.

Luciano sighed and swayed up to the Braginski's seats. "Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but," -He motioned in the News Ringer from town- "Would you care to repeat tonight's headline for us?"

The News Ringer took a deep breath and began to ring his bell. "MATTHEW JAMES WILLIAMS SEEN IN ARMS OF MYSTERY PERSON ON THE BRIDGE, MYSTERY PERSON AND MATTHEW WILLIAMS DISAPPEAR TOGETHER INTO THE NIGHT!" His loud voice echoed and shook across the room.

After his announcement, a shocked silence stretched tight across the room. Luciano was the one to break it.

"Thank you Mathias, that will be all," He told, ushering the News Bearer out. His unnerving eyes scanned every face in the room.

"B- But, Matt doesn't know any mysterious people. . ." Oliver said, still slightly in shock. Frankie nodded his head in agreement.

"That doesn't matter, No groom, no wedding! Emil, fetch my pipe! We can't let the public know of this embarrassment!" Sergei growled, with the anger prominent in his voice.

"No, don't do that," Frankie responded, hefting himself up from the loveseat he had been sharing with Oliver. He took the pipe from the servant and put it up on the ledge over the fireplace. "Give us some time to find Matt, he couldn't have gotten far."

Oliver quickly agreed, "Yes, please give us until dawn!"

Natalia sighed and put a hand to her forehead. "Very well, you have till the dawn of tomorrow," She allowed.

"Da, but no later," Sergei added.

Katyusha was silent throughout the whole conversation, she couldn't believe it. Sure, she wanted to run away with someone else, but did not know Matt had the same idea in mind. Luciano stood off to the side, also silent, but seemed lacking in concern for the situation.

Everyone remained quiet as the Kirkland-Bonnefoy's set out in their coach to search. Natalia soon, though, gather up her skirts and stood. "Katyusha, please go to your room," She requested. Katyusha quickly stood and went. At least in her room she did not have to face the piercing gaze of Luciano Vargas.

**A/N: Yo! Guess who's back with a brand new chap? :D Meeee! Yay! My one thing, I'm not sure if I'm portraying Ukraine right. If you feel something is off, leave me a tip please~ Now for more info on new characters for who is who:**

"**Corpse Bride" - 2p!Prussia (His name will be in the next chapter.)**

**Dead kid in sailor suit - Sealand (There actually is a skeleton child in a sailor suit in the movie, but I edited it a bit to be more obviously Sealand.) **

**Francis - 1p!France **

**Alice - Nyo!England**

**Alfie - 2p!America**

**Lutz - 2p!Germany**

**Mathias - Denmark (haha he got such a small role. I thought, Loud voice = Good News Ringer.)**

**Emil - Iceland (Emil is the actual name of the Butler/Servant/whatever in the movie, so I made him Iceland, since that is Iceland's name if I am correctly informed.) **

**That's all I can think of. A pleasant day to you all! (/ OwO)/ **


	3. Where did you get to?

"Matt, where have you gone?" The 'Corpse Bride' called, looking around for the escaped blonde.

"If you ask me, your boyfriend is really jumpy," A German-accented voice commented.

'Corpse Bride' glanced behind him at the owner of the voice. "He's not my boyfriend, Gilbert," He replied. Looking down at the ring on his finger he added, "He's my husband."

Gilbert snickered and then drew a determined smirk. "I'll help you look for him!" He declared, jumping on to the other's back. He put a hand over his eyes and swiveled his head around. "There!" He yelled, pointing out Matt, who stood behind a statue.

Matt swore under his breath after he heard Gilbert point him out. He began to race around, not even knowing where he was going. Racing down the halls, trying to find a way out, he came across a hallway lined with worn coffins. He quickly jumped behind one and hid, as the silverette he was hiding from passed with Gilbert, still calling out for Matt.

After they had passed, Matt sighed and stepped out, rubbing his face with one hand. He was nearly knocked over, however, when a blonde that looked almost exactly like him, except with softer and purple eyes, longer hair, and more delicate features, swung down from the rafters to hang in front of him.

The Person smiled at him and spiders crawled around her blue-ish skin. "Married, huh? I was a widow until I died, too," she said. "My name is Madeline, you are?" Madeline asked. Instead of responding, Matt darted past the other blonde, almost making her fall off her hanging. "Ah! Rude!" Madeline called, regaining her balance. "He went that way!" She called to 'Corpse Bride' and Gilbert, pointing to the right.

"Crap, dead end!" Matt half-whispered, glaring at the wall that was blocking his path. Thinking fast, he climbed up the wall, grabbing at rocks and small ledges to heft himself up. At the very top, he accidently grabbed the ankle of . . . the 'Corpse Bride'. And he definitely did _not _yelp in surprise.

"You could have just used the stairs, you know," 'Corpse Bride' said, helping to pull Matt up. "You're weird."

Matt huffed. "I am not weird. If anyone's weird it's you," He shot.

"You're still weird," 'Corpse Bride' replied before turning and sitting on a bench. Matt furrowed his brow at the other's constant tone. Was he always that monotone? Standing up, Matt went to sit next to the white-haired corpse.

"I always liked the view from here. If I had any breath, I'm sure it would take it away," 'Corpse Bride' said quietly.

Matt sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about your past and what's been going on with you, but I really need to get back home," He explained, exasperation showing in his voice.

The other looked around. "But since we got married, this is your home," He said it like it was perfectly obvious. He gestured off towards the end of the cliff, where one could see a cheery and brightly lit town. A faint tune of music and laughter drifted in the wind. It was very different from the world he knew.

"I don't even know your name, though," Matt responded. Yes, it was nice here, but he needed to get back and at least tell his parents he wasn't dead.

". . . Akbar," The other responded. "My name is Akbar." Matt nodded in response. "Oh, and I got something for you," Akbar added. He bent over slightly to pull a box out from under the bench. Matt noticed it was a decent size and worn, wrapped in dark red paper. It was hard to tell what was in it. Akbar gently placed it on Matt's lap. "Open it," He said.

Matt gingerly opened the lid, but nearly dropped the entire thing when he noticed what was inside.  
Bones.  
"Um, thanks, I guess?" He replied. It was then the box began to shake rapidly. Matt dropped the box, causing all the bones to spill out. The bones kept shaking, however, and then formed into a skeleton.

The skeleton was almost in the shape of a small bear. It would look exactly like one if it had flesh and fur. The bear looked up at Matt and cocked its head to the side. Matt's eyes widened to an almost comical extent.

"Holy Crap . . . Is that Kumakuro?" Matt questioned with slight shock.

Akbar nodded. "Alfie told me he was your pet once," He replied.

"More like Alfie's pet. Alfie gave him to me as a gift, but he just kept going back to Alfie," Matt sighed. "Stupid bear," He added, grumbling slightly as the bear wandered off. "He ignored me during life and he'll ignore me during death. . ."

Akbar gave what could almost be considered a small laugh, causing Matt to glance over at him. Akbar looked much more normal now than he did in the forest. While his skin was still tinted a little blue, it was fainter than most the other corpses he had seen. His skin looked more pale white than anything. His eyes were ice blue, and the color was still certainly bright but not eerily glowing like in the forest. His hair was still white, however, and freakishly long. Matt was pretty sure it was past Akbar's hips, but it was hard to tell while he was sitting. The hair was even longer in perspective to Akbar's height. He was a little taller than Matt, by a few inches. Matt knew he was a man, but he was pretty feminine looking, to be truthful.

Akbar was staring at the Kumakuro as he wandered off. "Must have been weird having a bear as a pet. I had a crow once, but it's still alive," He said.

Matt nodded. "Dad never really approved of it. He doesn't like animals."

"Do you think they would have approved of me?" Akbar asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Matt sighed. "You're lucky you'll never have to meet them. They're a little crazy. Mom always poisons his cupcakes and **[bleep]**." It was then Matt got an idea. Maybe there was a way to get back to the world of the living. . .

**A/N: Oh god, please forgive this badness *hides face* Writer's block is evil. I tried, I really did. It's not exactly what I wanted, but it'll do. Better than nothing, right? :D I sure hope so. . . But anyway! I have a few things to say. Firstly, I have a poll on my profile asking you guys who Ukraine should be paired up with. I don't really ship her with anyone, so go! Go now! I need your help! I seriously need votes on that thing. Secondly! Most swearing will be censored. I'm not allowed to swear, and I ain't risking getting in trouble over fanfiction! Just use your imagination. Think of it as "You get to choose what they swear with! Fill in the blanks!". Now all that's left is an update on who's who: **

**Akbar - 2p!Prussia**

**Gilbert - 1p!Prussia**

**Madeline - 1p!Fem!Canada (It wasn't going to be Fem!Canada, just normal Canada originally, but with 2p!Canada's name being Matt and 1p being Matthew. . .I thought it might get confusing and changed it.)**

**Kumakuro - 2p!Kumajiro (He's a black bear.) **

**Man this is a long A/N. . .**


	4. The Mysterious (and irritable) Magic Man

Matt had a plan. He would get back to the world of the living this way, he could get out of this freak-show called the world of the dead. Sure, he wasn't big on tricking Akbar, but he was determined to get back home.

"You know, maybe you should meet them. Since we're, you know, married," Matt said, waving one of his hands nonchalantly. The Silverette next to him nodded in understanding.

"Alright, where are they buried?" Akbar asked, tilting his head to the side.

Matt shifted his eyes up. "They're, well, still alive. So. . ." He trailed off.

Akbar simply gave a small "Hmm" in response. They spent a moment thinking before Akbar gave an actual proper response. "Oh, we could go to Arthur," He suggested.

Matt cocked an eyebrow. "And Arthur is . . .?" He questioned.

"He's a magic user. Maybe he has something that could help," Akbar explained, shrugging.

They walked down a worn old road next to each other, a silence settling between them. There was a question gnawing at Matt though. What were the specifics of Akbar's death? Was it rude to ask? If he was going to be stuck here forever, he'd like to know a little more about the weird white-haired man he was stuck with. All he knew, truth be told, was that Akbar had been tricked into eloping with a bad man and had paid the price. Matt wanted to know more, so he decided to ask.

"Akbar?" He asked, getting the silverette's attention. Akbar turned to him and tilted his head, a gesture that seemed common for him.

"Hmm?" Akbar responded simply.

Matt took a deep breath before asking his question. "Would it bother you if I asked to know more about your death?" He tried to make it sound as casual as possible. It came off a little awkward sounding to him.  
Akbar stared at him for a long moment. Matt might have almost called his expression . . . shock.

His eyes seemed to shoot straight through Matt as though he was trying to figure him out. Hell if Matt knew what was going on inside the other's head. If he didn't want to answer the question, he didn't have to. Matt _knew_ he shouldn't have asked. He didn't even know why it was so important. If he found a way out of the mess he was in, it wouldn't matter, either! Yet . . . he wanted to know this man. The man with the sad eyes that seemed to call out to him.

"You already know how that story ends. What is the point of knowing the details?" Akbar finally spoke, startling Matt out of his thoughts.

Matt shrugged, adjusting his sunglasses. "Dunno. I just wanted to know."

Akbar bit his lip before sighing. He looked off into the distance as he spoke. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter much. A man came from another village. He was very handsome, smart. He was charming, too. I was doomed from the start . . . He found out about my sexuality, and it turned out he didn't . . . appreciate it. . ." It was here Akbar stopped talking, looking down at his feet as they walked. Matt waited for Akbar to come out of the pause. Akbar shook his head slightly, continuing. "I ran away from home because he told me he loved me. I thought we could take on the whole world together. I was young and foolish. When he arrived he smiled just as charmingly as always. That was when I felt the pain. Heh . . . When I looked down, there was a knife in my stomach." Matt noticed that Akbar was unconsciously rubbing his stomach as he said that. He flinched in sympathy and forced himself to listen to the rest. He had wanted to know, after all.

"As he stabbed me again and again, all I could hear was his laughter. He told me that he hated my kind. How loving another man was disgusting and he lived for destroying people like me. He didn't need to use his knife to rip my heart out. Those words from him, filled with such malicious joy, were what really killed me." Akbar sighed as he finished.

Matt wasn't sure what to say. The only thing that was really on his mind was how unnerving it was to hear someone talk about death in such an unfeeling way. He felt for Akbar, of course! Hell, he wanted to find the **[Bleeper]** who sucked the life out of the man for such a stupid reason and kill him, himself. But, that wouldn't really change anything.

Matt wasn't sure what to say. The only thing on his mind was the storyline of what he had been told. Akbar had been tricked into eloping, thinking he loved the man.

"Wow, you kinda walked into that one, didn't you?"

_What. The Hell. _

Matt immediately slapped his hand over his mouth, his eyes widening. _What was that, Matt!? Is this how you console people!? You just made fun of his death! _He inwardly berated himself and cursed his mouth for randomly going on autopilot.

To his surprise, however, the reaction was not what he expected. Akbar was silent for a moment, his eyes almost as wide as Matt's, before he turned away with a knuckle to his lip, letting out a soft "Kesesese. . .". The laugh drifted off slightly, very faint and airy.

He turned back to Matt, twisting at his waist to face him. Speaking with his eyes bright, he responded, "Hindsight, man."

Matt's shoulders fell in relief and he smiled with Akbar, glad to know Akbar wasn't offended. In his mind, he quietly added a thought to how easy this moment was.

After Akbar had turned back to Matt fully, instead of talking, they just grinned at each other. Both of them continued down the worn trail. Delicately, Akbar reached out his hand and threaded his fingers with Matt's.

Matt looked at Akbar, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. "What are you doing?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Akbar tilted his head, as per his usual motion. "Holding your hand. . .?" He replied, ending on an almost questioning note. "Is there a problem with that?" he added, glancing ahead slightly at two approaching figures walking towards them.

Matt shook his head, an almost smirk slipping onto his face. "Nah, it's fine. Even though we're married, let's take it slow - don't jump me or anything," He joked.

"Pft, maybe you should~ It is the wedding night after all~," The two passer-byes chided, just as they passed. Whirling around to face the offending persons, all Matt saw was the retreating figures of Gilbert and Alfie, high-fiving each other before fleeing.

Matt glared after them, but Akbar seemed unaffected, just giving Matt's hand a quick squeeze. They eventually turned and continued walking.

Akbar walked into the old crumbling building with Matt following behind him. The walls were cracked and falling apart, there were books stacked up to the ceiling in great amounts, enough to make the whole place seem like a maze, and a twisting staircase leading up to a balcony of sorts.

"Arthur? Are you here?" Akbar called, looking around the old building. Matt narrowed his eyes. There was something unnerving about this place. There was a sense of tension in the air that set him on the alert.

Suddenly, there was a blonde corpse staring down at them from the ledge up above. His eyebrows were huge and bushy, furrowing above emerald eyes. "Akbar Belischdmit? Is that you, lad?" He questioned, strutting down the stairway.

Akbar nodded at the short blonde. "Ja, Arthur, it's me," Akbar replied, waving slightly at Arthur.

Arthur squinted uncertainly at the other in the room. "And this is . . .?" He trailed off, gesturing at Matt, and raising an eyebrow at the pair's still intertwined hands.

"My name is Matt," Matt retorted sharply, not liking this mysterious 'magic man' already.

Arthur crossed his arms at the rough attitude of the blonde Canadian. Akbar interrupted their mild squabble with another of his blank-voiced sentences.

"We need to get to the world of the living. Can you do that?" Akbar asked.

Arthur sighed and uncrossed his arms, climbing back up his stairs. Without a proper verbal response, he flipped through a dusty old book, ignoring the other two in the building for several minutes.

"Well. . . There's a Ukrainian haunting spell that would work. . ." He mumbled, his voice getting quieter.

Matt rolled his eyes ever slightly. "So we're going to use that, huh?"

Arthur glared, a moment of no response. "No," He replied crossly.

Matt's eyebrows shot up, before knitting together with a furious snarl. "What do you mean 'no'?" He shot back.

Arthur 'hmphed' at Matt, slamming the book shut. "Not with that attitude young man."

"You know, I'll smash your head in," Matt threatened.

"I'm dead, you git. It won't make an ounce of difference if you hit me."

"You'll still feel that pain though, and I can promise you my arm won't get tired any time soon," Matt hissed back, narrowing his eyes in anger at the Brit.

Arthur's eyes were in the same, and their glaring match lasted several minutes before Arthur finally released all his breath in a huff. "Fine, you get your way," He sighed, reopening his frayed book. "The word to get back here is 'Scones'," Arthur explained, grumbling.

"Scones?" Matt repeated.

"Yes, Scones! What's wrong with that!?" Arthur snapped back.

"Just get on with it!" Matt yelled back, done with the arguing already.

Arthur snorted in indignation, before grabbing an egg from a drawer. "Remember, Lads. Scones."

And with a crack of the egg, they disappeared in a flurry of black feathers.

* * *

**A/N: OH MY GOD THIS TOOK SO LONG I'M SO SORRY *rolls around flailing* I feel bad. I didn't mean it to take this long, I'm so sorry . . . *falls over and starts rolling again* Writer's block is evil, but for some reason my friend reading this aloud in a Prussia voice and making comments (Still in her amazingly accurate Prussia voice) inspired me, and I got it done. It might have taken a month or two without her, so thank her, guys. Seriously. Eh, what else? Oh yeah! Trivia time! Why do you guys think most the 1p's are dead while most the 2p's are alive?**

**Who's who update for this chapter:**

**Arthur Kirkland – 1p!England **

**Wow, that's the only newly introduced character this chapter. I'm such a failure cake. Sorry! *covers head* Also, I can't really get chapter 5 posted until I have more votes on who Ukraine should be paired with, so go vote on that thing! It's on my profile! GO FORTH! That's all. Rambling author's note over. **


	5. Back to the World of the Living

Matt covered his eyes with his hand, a bright light suddenly filling his vision. Blinking, his eye-sight slowly restored to reveal the full moon shining at him.

They were back in the world of the living.

Matt could feel the soft breezes ruffling his hair, hear the owls in the trees and the distant rumble of coaches on the crooked roads of the village.

It was surreal almost, being away from the freakish world of the dead, and back in the peacefulness that was his home.

A tiny gasp drew his attention to Akbar, however. The man was staring at the moon, with the shine reflecting in his glossy eyes. Akbar had an awestruck look about his face, delicately tilting his head to the side.

"It's been a long time since I've seen the moonlight. . ." Akbar half-whispered, reaching his hand out as though he could touch the light. Matt chuckled lightly at the strange silverette.

Just before Matt could say something, he was startled by an atrociously large crow swooping down and clutching onto Akbar's head. It jutted its face towards Matt in a defensive manner, as if to tell Matt to go away. Matt was shocked at the bird, his head moving back as the crow towered over him. His sunglasses slipped down his nose and almost off his face with the movement, but he luckily caught them right before they fell.

Matt wanted to kill bird for challenging him, anger settling in and taking the place of surprise. Before he could, however, Akbar reached a long arm up to scratch the bird's head. This made the crow calm down and sit normally atop the white locks.

"What _is that!?_" Matt snapped, glaring at the offending crow.

Akbar blinked at him. "A crow."

Matt's face dropped to a "no **[bleep]**." look at Akbar. "Well duh. I mean what is it doing on your head and trying to ward me off?"

Akbar glanced up at the unusually large crow. "This is Crowbar. He used to be my pet when I was alive. I guess he still hangs around here," Akbar explained.

"What a cute name," Matt said sarcastically, eyeing the bird in a suspicious manner.

"I named him after myself," Akbar responded.

Matt huffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Whatever. The bird is still a creep."

Akbar chuckled softly at him, making Matt smile.

All too soon, that smile dropped. The reminder of why he was here and what he was about to do tore it away.

He had to deceive Akbar.

Matt mustered up the courage to commit the act. Adjusting his jacket nervously, he put hand on Akbar's shoulder.

"So, uh, about meeting my parents, I was thinking I'd go get them and you wait here!" He lied, hoping it not too obvious. _Okay, now think of something quick and witty to back that up. _

"Alright, I'll wait," Akbar said simply.

Matt blinked at him. "What- You sure?" _Why are you asking him!? He accepted it, now just move on! _

"Mm hm," Akbar nodded, petting Crowbar's feathers.

"Oh, well, okay then," Matt replied, slowly walking off and watching Akbar over his shoulder.

_**oOo Time skip oOo**_

Matt pulled himself up over the side of the balcony, having climbed the ivy up to Katyusha's room. He rapidly tapped on the glass door, seeing Katyusha knitting inside. Catching the girl's attention, she stood up and her mouth dropped at the blonde. Hadn't he run away!? Scurrying over to unlock the door, Katyusha still couldn't believe her eyes.

"J- James, why are you here? I thought you ran away! I mean, I'm not judging you or anything, because I'd _love _to run away with Daniel but- Oh!" Katyusha gasped, covering her mouth with both her hands. She looked up at Matt, hoping he didn't catch the mistake.

Matt blinked in surprise at her, shocked she had a love interest. But he quickly shook his head of the thought, thinking it not important. He had to explain quickly, and then get back to Akbar.

"Whatever, I don't care! But I have to tell you something. I'm- I'm married to a corpse!" He explained, talking too fast.

Katyusha's eyes widened at him. "A- A corpse?" The Ukrainian spluttered, trying to process the new found information.

Matt nodded. "A corpse. His name is Akbar-"

"_His _name? Are you homosexual?" Katyusha questioned, finding herself off topic, curious as to whether she even fit Matt's sexual preference and if their eventual marriage would be rather awkward.

"Well, actually I'm bi- why does that even matter!?" Matt made a frustrated noise at her distractedness. "What's important is: _I'm married to a corpse,_" He restated, trying to emphasize his point. "_A corpse. As in not alive._"

Katyusha nodded, getting back on track. "So is the corpse still buried? Is he walking around?" Katyusha asked.

"He's walking around. He's like a normal person, almost," Matt noted, thinking about how normal Akbar was for a corpse.

"Okay so- is that him?" She suddenly asked, pointing towards the balcony.

To Matt's horror, it was indeed him.

Standing on the balcony, hurt clearly shown in his face, was his Corpse Bride.

_**oOo Time Skip back oOo **_

Akbar waved as Matt walked off to the village, sitting down to wait on a tree stump.

He waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Continuing to pet Crowbar's ebony feathers, he paid no mind to how long he had sat there. It was Crowbar that grew uneasy in a way, constantly looking up to see where the moon had moved to. Akbar titled his head at the bird as it twisted its neck around to stare at him through a sharp red eye.

"What's wrong?" The Silverette asked the crow.

Crowbar cawed and lightly pecked Akbar's wedding ring.

Akbar blinked at the ring. "Do you mean Matt . . .?" He guessed.

Crowbar tapped the ring again.

"I'm sure it's fine, Crowbar," Akbar shrugged.

The bird flapped its massive wings and cawed angrily.

Akbar made no move to go after Matt.

In response to this, Crowbar swooped up and buried his talons in Akbar's hair, flying away and bringing Akbar with him.

After a rather short flight, Crowbar dropped the Prussian onto a balcony. Akbar blinked as he stood up and looked around, rubbing the top of his head. Looking through the glass door directly in front of him, he couldn't suppress a strangled gasp.

**A/N: Long time no update. Nice to be writing again. I've been way too lazy :P But hahaha, the first thing I do when I get back is try to break everyone's heart. Yay. Also, Katyusha is calling Matt "James" because he mentioned he wanted people to call him that instead but nobody listened, so she was being nice and respecting his wishes. Sorry if it was confusing! **

**Who's who update: **

**Crowbar – 2p!Gilbird **

**That's it. Apple out~! **


	6. Mistakes and Apologies

He choked on his own words, and he could feel a strong pain in his chest. But then, it just faded all away, away with the breeze. All the feelings of hurt, betrayal, and sadness just disappeared. His hands dropped back to his sides, his head falling slightly, his shoulders sagged.

He was empty.

Matt was horrified at Akbar seeming to shut down. Rage-filled screaming or sadness he could handle. But seeing Akbar just _turn off_, just _fade_. It was terrifying. Like watching a bird break its wings. It struck one hell of a blow at Matt to see the light in Akbar's eyes completely disappear, leaving them as blank, hollow voids.

"If you wanted to go back to her, all you had to do was ask me," Akbar whispered, his voice holding an unnatural amount of blankness. It was so softly said, it was hard to hear.

Matt's words failed him, coming out in a slurred mess, completely incomprehensible. Without even thinking, he lunged forward and grabbed Akbar's shoulders. "Hold on, you're taking it all wrong!"

"But you lied to get back here, right?" Akbar tilted his head at Matt, still holding onto the well-known gesture.

The color drained from Matt's face and he let go of the man to run a hand through his own hair in frustration. "Well, yeah, but—"

Akbar cut him off. "So you should stay with her. I'll leave," He told, slowly turning around. Akbar walked a few steps away from Matt, looking up to the sky.

"Akbar, just listen to me—"

"Scones," The silverette whispered.

Swirls of black smoke rose up seemingly from nowhere to incase the Prussian. Unbeknownst to Akbar, the smoke also wrapped around Matt, pulling him along with Akbar back to the world of the dead.

The smoke cleared out quicker than it had appeared, revealing them to be on the bottom level of the Magic Man Arthur's strange building. The first thing Matt saw was the retreating back of the silverette.

Scrambling to catch up to Akbar, Matt pulled him back by tugging viciously on his long hair. He almost made Akbar topple over, but it got him to stop, at least.

"For the love of god Akbar, just stop for a minute!" Matt demanded, frustrated. He slammed his hands into his pants pockets, thinking over what he was going to say. Taking a deep breath, he didn't even get to start before Akbar spoke.

"I didn't mean to bring you along with me, I'm sorry. I never meant to pull you two apart," The silverette apologized, still with empty eyes. "I wasn't aware you had someone else."

Matt put a hand to his forehead, sighing heavily. "Look, I never wanted to get married at all. Katy didn't either; she's got some boy-toy named Daniel or something like that. It was all an arranged marriage, I just went back to tell her about you! I never wanted to be involved with someone!" His story tumbled out in one big mess.

Akbar titled his head. "I'm someone."

Matt stiffened at realizing his mistake. "Well, I didn't actually mean to marry you."

He spoke without thinking again.

_Damn it. _

Akbar looked down at the ground, a motion Matt recognized from when Akbar spoke of his death.

"I'll go," Akbar said quietly, walking away a little more quickly than usual.

Matt was frozen to his spot before he grabbed his head and screeched a little.

"Just go ahead and tell him marrying him was all a mistake and make him think you hate him, why don't you!? It's not like he didn't already have his heart ripped out by some crazy **[bleep]**! You're the biggest idiot in the world, Matt!"

**oOo Time Skip oOo **

Akbar huddled in his dark corner. He was sitting atop an old coffin that lay across the ground, in a groove in the wall. It kept him out of sight, and provided a nice hiding place. The Prussian was staring blankly in front of him, his head leaning against the cold wall.

He was on his own for quite a bit, until Gilbert and Madeline found him.

The albino was the first to disturb Akbar, jumping to grab onto the other, shaking him a little.

"Aky! We heard about your thing with Matt! Alfie was strolling around and overheard you guys! He said Matt was being a total dummkopf!" Gilbert emphasized each sentence by shaking the other Prussian back and forth.

Madeline, on the other hand, slowly lowered herself down from the rafters to sit in front of Akbar. She delicately grabbed his hand in an attempt to make him feel better.

"Hallo Gil. Hallo Maddie," Akbar responded softly.

"Bonjour, Akbar," Madeline responded, smiling a little at him.

Gilbert bounced. "Yeah, yeah - hallo, hallo. Now, Akbar! Why aren't you out there getting your man back!?"

Akbar turned his head to face Gil. "Because I'm not what he wants. The girl, Katy, is probably better for him anyway."

Madeline swallowed, Gil's shoulders sagged. They were both silent for a few seconds.

Madeline was the first to pipe back up, surprisingly. "Well, what's she got you don't? I doubt she can hold a candle to the beauty of your smile!" She said, grinning.

Akbar made a look of sad acceptance. "She has a beating heart, for one. And secondly, she's a woman . . . That's more than I can be," he sighed, his head falling back against the wall.

Madeline waved a hand. "So? Those girls are ten a penny. You've got tons more! You've got. . . You've got. . ." She trailed off, thinking.

"You've got a _way _more awesome personality!" Gilbert chirped, finishing Madeline's sentence.

"You've got double anything she's got!" Madeline jumped back in, smiling even wider at her friend.

"I don't have a pulse. I don't have breasts . . . And even if I did they wouldn't be half as big as her's. . ." He squinted on the last part, recalling the image of the platinum blonde.

Gilbert shrugged. "Overrated!"

"And that silly girl isn't wearing Matt's ring~!" The Canadian pointed out, smirking and pointing to the ring on Akbar's hand.

"If he knew the you we know, and how special you can be, Matt would realize she doesn't compare!" Gilbert boasted while slapping Akbar's back.

Akbar glanced at them both. "I know I'm dead, I know I'm a man, I know thinking another man loved me was what killed me the first time, and I was silly to think it would go right this time," The silverette spelled out, pulling his knees to his chest.

For a moment, the Cheer-Up-Akbar duo was silent.

"Akbar. . ." Madeline stopped mid-sentence, reaching out a hand. Smiling sadly, she continued her movement, going to stroke Akbar's hair. "Just remember we care, and things will get better." She titled her head to match his, looking at him expectantly. "Okay?"

Akbar nodded slightly at her.

"Good," She grinned. With that, Madeline nodded at Gilbert, cueing their leave.

**oOo Time Skip oOo **

Matt raced through unfamiliar corridors, down unknown streets, and around mysterious buildings lit with warm glows. Silhouettes of the corpses inside walked past without a care, no one knowing of Matt's stress.

_Where did Akbar disappear to!? _Matt inwardly screeched. He had to find that man and apologize! He couldn't just leave Akbar thinking he fell in love with another homophobic jerk!

Matt suddenly stopped. _Wait . . . Does Akbar love me? _He questioned. Matt rubbed the top of his head, thinking it over. They'd only gotten married a few hours ago. That was also the first time they met. . . He seriously doubted you could fall in love with someone that fast.

_Maybe it's just a type of hard-core attraction? Serious like-like? Now I'm thinking like a school girl. _Matt's arms dropped down as he stared at the ground with a "that-was-a-really-stupid-thought-and-you-should-f eel-stupid-for-it" face for several minutes.

That damn cobblestone would feel his wrath.

Matt shook his head, smacking himself for getting off topic.

"FIND AKBAR ALREADY!" He yelled aloud, making several passing corpses jump in surprise (and slight fear).

**oOo**

Akbar had finally left his hidey-hole, and was now wandering around aimlessly. It wasn't long before he found himself by a piano. Akbar ran his long fingers over the top of the piano before sitting down to play it. He flowed through the song, enjoying the sound of the elegant melody. It was one he had learned in his youth, though he could not, for the life of him, remember its name.

. . .

Pun not intended.

Akbar began to forget himself in the music, letting it wash away the gnawing feelings that threatened to appear. He ignored the racing footsteps behind him, assuming it was just those of a random passer-by. He continued to ignore it when it sounded like someone crashed into a stack of crates or something, and when the footsteps returned, quickening back towards Akbar's direction.

He didn't know what was up with the owner of the steps, but it did not concern him.

The Prussian slipped up on his piano-playing when someone came up directly behind him, though, placing a hand over his own.

"Hey. Will you hear me out?"

It was Matt's voice, albeit softer than usual. He sounded exasperated.

Akbar didn't fully reply, instead he just nodded a tiny bit.

"I'm sorry I lied to you, I should have just told the truth. But as you've probably noticed by now, I don't always think before I act. At all." Matt confessed, sighing. He sat down next to Akbar, looking at the ivory keys before them.

Akbar turned his head to look at the other, tilting it to the side as usual. "I've noticed," he assured Matt's statement.

Matt snorted before continuing. "This whole day has been kind of a mess."

Akbar just nodded again, going back to tapping the worn keys of the piano. He blinked in surprise when Matt played the next part of the song. Akbar did the next part, eyeing the Canadian next to him. Said Canadian played a more complicated melody, eyeing Akbar right back. Akbar took up the next section, stringing the set of notes together. 

It wasn't even a few seconds later they started playing at the same time, both of their effort combined to create a gorgeous piece. A beautiful duet it was, the piano flawlessly emitting the sound despite its age.

At the end, Akbar kesesese'd ever so quietly, with a knuckle to his lips.

Just like the last time Matt had seen him laugh.

In turn, Matt grinned at him. It was nice to see Akbar happy again, even if it was a small amount.

But soon the light fled back out of the icy blue eyes. "I'm not supposed to be the one enjoying your company, am I? It's supposed to be her," Akbar asked under his breath.

Matt groaned, throwing his head back. "I already told you, Katy's got some other guy! She doesn't want me!"

Akbar faced him, seeming to stare into Matt's soul. "Then it should be some other girl, huh?" He murmured.

Matt gave a low growl. Then he did something he never thought he would do. He twisted his hand in a bundle of Akbar's hair and roughly shoved their lips together.

Okay, so he was kissing a dead person.

Put that on the list of "Things Matt has done no one else would ever think is a good idea".

But he'smarried to the dead person, so it's okay, right? Right!

Right.

Right. . .

He didn't know what he was doing anymore.

Matt was pleased to find Akbar returning the kiss despite his inner conflicts about it, though. That would mean Akbar trusted him again, or so he would assume.

After pulling away, they placed their foreheads together, just staring at each other for a time.

"I know Alfie calls me feminine, but you're aware I'm still a guy, right?" Akbar asked, breaking their quiet.

Matt groaned, tilting away and then slamming his head back into its former position, making Akbar wince.

"Of course I know you're a guy, moron. And _I don't care_. It doesn't bother me that you're gay. Why would it? I've got two dads!" He made a sour face before glancing up and furrowing his brow. "And well, I'm not exactly straight as an arrow either. . ."

Akbar chuckled at that, a small smile making its way onto his face.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Matt's head. He was pretty sure he still had that flower. . .

Reaching into coat, Matt searched for the tell-tale feel of petals or a stem. Giving an "A-ha!" when he found it, Matt pulled a vibrant blue cornflower from his jacket. He had picked it from the forest after he stormed away from the church.

It was originally supposed to be an apology to Katyusha, but Matt figured it could be put to better use like this.

"Look, here, I'm sorry!" He shoved the flower under Akbar's nose, making the other go cross-eyed.

Akbar blinked at the flower, before actually smiling at it. He took it from Matt's hands. "Danke," He said, still looking to the cornflower instead of Matt.

**A/N: HOLY CRAPOLA THAT'S A LONG CHAPTER. Longest I've ever written. Wowza. I hope it's a good one~! :D **

**People update:**

**Daniel – Nyo/Male!Hungary **

**Bye~ **


	7. Secret Loves and Hate-filled Thoughts

Katyusha blinked after the disappearance of the two strange males. It had been so rushed, it was like a blur. She stood still for a moment, eyes still widened. She was jolted out of her shock by a small rock hitting the one glass door that was still closed. Racing to the balcony, she leaned over the edge to see a familiar man. This man had long brown hair in a ponytail hanging over his shoulder, a grin upon his face, and bright emerald eyes.

"Daniel!" Katyusha exclaimed, before covering her mouth with her hands. She looked around to make sure no one heard and was coming to confront her, then motioned for him to come up.

Climbing up the ivy growing along the wall, the Hungarian man rushed to meet her. Pulling himself up onto the platform, he stumbled up quickly to swoop Katyusha into a spinning hug. Twirling her around, Daniel tried to keep his laughter quiet as he lightly kissed her.

"Katy! It's been so long!" He said, slightly hushed. Katyusha giggled, sighing as she was put down.

"It has. So much has been going on since I last saw you."

"Oh yeah? What's been up with groom man? He hasn't been perving on you, has he?" Daniel's eyes suddenly narrowed dangerously.

Katyusha shook her head. "Oh, no. He's married to someone else."

Daniel blinked in surprise. "What? Aren't you two in an arranged marriage?"

The blonde nodded. "Yes, but, he found a corpse he married," She explained simply.

He was clearly horrified. "What the hell!?" He asked, shocked.

Katyusha nodded, leading him inside to her room. "His name is Akbar, if I recall. I only got a quick look at him, but he's very tall and has really long white hair. I would have mistaken him for a woman if James hadn't told me he was a man."

"Whoa, a corpse man? That's . . . insane. Also, James? I thought his name was Matthew or something?" Daniel responded.

Katyusha nodded. "I don't quite understand it, but James said he was a corpse. Well, his name is Matthew, but he requested I call him James, his middle name," She explained, sitting down and smoothing her skirt.

Daniel sat across from her. "That's really odd . . . a homosexual and necrophilia-filled relationship. You don't see that every day. . ." Daniel gave a nod of acknowledgement at Matt's choice of name, before leaning forward. "So this James or Matt guy or whatever, he left you for a man? A _dead _man?"

Katyusha smiled. "Yes, I suppose he did. But that's okay, I was going to leave him for man as well~," She laughed.

Daniel chuckled with her, grabbing her hand and swinging it. "He just doesn't know what he's missing out on~!"

**oOo**

Luciano stopped outside the door of Katyusha's room, slinking over to the door and pressing his ear against it when he heard an unrecognized voice. It sounded like a man, but Sergei and the butler were asleep, Matt was missing, and Luciano himself was out in the hallway listening in. All of the men she could be talking to were not available.

This meant something very _peculiar _was going on, and Luciano couldn't be more interested. If Katyusha was with this man, that meant Matt was out of the way, but now there was _this _intruder to deal with. Why was every one so set on getting in the way of his plans!?

He drank in every word, soaking up every ounce of information he could possibly use against the unknown male. Suddenly, his heart stopped.

_"His name is Akbar, if I recall." _

Akbar . . . The name rang a bell. . . Could it be . . . that scum he destroyed so long ago? It wasn't exactly a common name, and Katyusha had said the man was a corpse. . . Luciano shook his head. It couldn't be, he'd made sure that monster had been too torn apart to ever thinkof loving a man again, even in the afterlife.

Then, Katyusha gave a description of this corpse Matt was apparently married to.

_Tall man, long white hair, feminine looking, named Akbar . . . It __**is **__him. . . _Luciano inwardly growled. That damned fag was back, and infecting others with homosexuality.

It _disgusted _him.

He felt a monster rise within him, tearing at his sense and eating his brain. Gnawing away everything but the hate, the horror, the urge to _kill. _He began to breathe heavily, the monster growing bigger inside him, breaking his soul and replacing it. Every bit of his being told him to go find the infected men and rip them apart. Wipe them from existence, cleanse the world of them.

Luciano stumbled away from the door, his sight blurring and shaking until he almost couldn't see a foot in front of him. His fists clenched and unclenched, brimming with the potential to cut and do harm. He wanted to slash them to bits, rid them of their sick love, and throw them into unmarked graves.

The Italian had thought he'd shattered his old "lover", crushed him to dust and left him hopeless. But he was back, and he was still as sick as when Luciano knew him.

A thought suddenly invaded his raging mind.

_No, stop. If you do this, you could ruin your plans. The girl could get married to that man if you leave, and you won't be able to inherit any of her wealth or power. You'll lose your chance. She could run before the job is done and everything will be lost. The plan will fail._

Luciano was torn. What little sense was left told him to reject the desires and stay, but everything else told him to go. He thought of the power he could gain if he stayed and married Katyusha. All the wealth, all the rewards. . . But not even all the wealth and power in the world could make up for that. His hatred would not be satisfied through money; he needed to cleanse the world of that illness. His job was not complete. Luciano had to break that man and keep him broken.

**A/N: bleeeeeeeeeeerrrrrgggghhhhh this hurt to write. Please know that everything Luciano says is not my opinion! It's all his own messed up little mind. Just kinda wanna set him on fire, huh? Now, this isn't how Luciano normally is, but for story/plot purposes. . . He's a homophobic jerk-wad. Sorry Luci! (Now he's gonna kill me cause I called him Luci. . . Ha.) I'm sorry this took so long, writer's block and everything, ya know? **


	8. Plots and Problems

Luciano stepped silently through the forest, making not a single noise. He was sure he remembered where that oak tree was, where he had killed Akbar. It gave him a feeling almost of nostalgia, being back in the area of such a moment. He had achieved another victory that day, and here he was to keep that victory.

Ah, there it was. The grave left unmarked, he alone could distinguish it. It was given away by a root that forked into two, putting half of a border around the hole.

But what could Luciano do to hurt him now? He had no entrance into the world of the dead. He wasn't even sure why he'd run here, he would have thought himself smarter than to make such rash decisions. Luciano smirked at the grave, a thought coming to him.

"Can you hear me? I would doubt you can. But if you are able, just be warned, I will find a way to destroy your sick love. I've done it before, I'll do it again," Luciano whispered, the venom dripping off each syllable. He crouched down, lowering his voice volume even further. "You cannot beat me, _corpse bride_," He sneered on the last part, hefting himself up.

Walking off, he grinned to himself, thinking, _I will find a way. I always do. _

**oOo Time Skip oOo**

Katyusha sat by the fire in the dining room. It was almost dawn. Daniel had gone. . . All she could do was wait. What would happen if Oliver and Frankie could not find their son? Would the wedding be called off? Would Katyusha be forced into another marriage? She bit her lip in worry. Just as she was about to go into another flurry of concern, quiet footsteps sounded behind her.

Luciano sat across from her, only half lit by the fireplace. It was eerie how sharply his eyes glowed, even in the dark. Averting her own eyes, Katyusha tried to ignore his gaze.

"I've made a deal with your siblings," The Italian stated.

Katyusha stiffened, her hands clenching her skirt fabric.

"If our dear Matthew cannot be found, I will be the one to marry you."

She gasped, trying not to show her surprise. Or her terror. She kept quiet, clenching and unclenching her hands.

Luciano chuckled, lifting himself from his seat and walking to the door way.

"I will be seeing you soon, my dear. . ." He breathed.

Katyusha covered her face.

_What do I do? _

**oOo **

Arthur rushed through the streets, occasionally tripping on a loose stone. Panting heavily, he scanned the crowds for a head of silver hair.

"Where is that bloody fool?" The blonde swore, furrowing his brow.

"Are you looking for someone, Arthur?" The trademark blank tone signified he had found Akbar, the very person he had been looking for.

"Akbar! I've been looking for you!" He sighed, turning around to face the other.

Said Prussian tilted his head, giving a quiet, "Hmm?"

Arthur pulled a heavy book from his satchel, blowing dust off the cover and flipping through the yellowed pages.

"I have . . . unfortunate news," he mumbled. "It's about your marriage. . ."

**A/N: YOU GUYS MUST THINK MY ALL TIME FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD IS TAKING 5EVER TO UPDATE THEN GIVING CRAPPY SHORT CHAPTERS THAT END ON A CLIFF HANGER BY NOW. **

**WELL GUESS WHAT.**

**IT PROBABLY IS. **


	9. Complications in Marriage

Akbar tilted his head to the side. "What about it?"

Arthur took a deep breath, scanning over the chosen page of his book. "It appears that your marriage is not valid. . ." He mumbled. "You know the line for marriage, till death do us part?"

The silverette nodded slowly in response.

Arthur looked up at Akbar sadly. "Well. . . I'm afraid death already has brought you apart. . ."

Akbar's eyes widened ever so slightly. Unconsciously, he twisted the golden band around his finger.

"The only way you two could continue to be together is if Matthew agreed to die and remarry you. . ." The Englishman continued, closing his book.

Akbar looked down, his hair hiding his face.

"I could never ask him to do that. . ." He shook his head.

Arthur tucked his book into his satchel, giving a glum sigh. "Well, you at least have to tell him he's able to leave now. . . As much as it may hurt, it isn't right to hold someone against their wishes. It would only end badly. You have to give him a choice."

The Prussian nodded, still toying with the – apparently meaningless, now – ring.

_After all this . . . I'm going to lose him. _

**oOo Time Skip oOo**

Matt was sitting casually at the same bench he had first really talked to Akbar, learned his name, and received Kumakuro as a gift (Hadn't seen the damn bear since, though). He had decided to walk around a bit, and wound up there. Choosing to stop and relax at the familiar spot, now Matt was kind of zoning out, drifting away into various thoughts. The blonde barely noticed when a certain corpse gingerly sat next to him.

"Matt?"

Jolting at the sudden break in silence, the addressed man turned to face the silverette.

"Oh, hey, Akbar," Matt said simply, sitting up straight. It was then he noticed a certain emptiness in the ice blue eyes of the other. If Matt had managed to learn anything while in the world of the dead, it was that if Akbar's eyes looked empty, something was wrong. He felt a strong amount of worry bite at him at the sight.

"Is something wrong?" Matt asked.

"You can leave now. . ." The silverette breathed. He was so quiet; it was a miracle Matt could hear him.

"What are you talking about?" Matt raised an eyebrow, questioning the meaning behind the words. Did he mean he wanted Matt to leave him alone? They'd been spending so much time together, he'd kind of gotten used to being around him. It would suck if Akbar just suddenly wanted him to get lost.

The Prussian's shoulders fell, his head tilted down. "We can't be married like this. You can go now. . ." Akbar slowly removed the gold ring off his finger. Gently taking Matt's hand, he placed the band in the other's palm. As Akbar moved to look at Matt, the blonde closed his fingers around the ring.

Confused, Matt started up, "Akbar, what's wrong with you? I thought we already talked about this-"

"It's not about that," Akbar cut him off. "While I'm a corpse and you're alive, we can't be wed. Death has already parted us; we're not married," He explained quietly.

_I can leave? _Matt let the shocking information fully set in. Since he had arrived here, he had been trying to get out. But now that he finally had the chance. . . Did he really want to?

"So. . . There's no way for us to be married?" Matt asked.

Akbar was quiet a moment, as if thinking.

"There is," He finally spoke.

"And that way is . . .?"

". . . You would have to die, and then we would remarry," The silverette finally told.

_I can finally get away from this freak fest of a town! _

Matt was practically ready to click his heels in his excitement to get out of the place. Sure, the people were nice enough—better than the jerks he was used to back home—but being around so much death was still a little freaky. Matt felt like a sore thumb, too. He was the only living person around and everyone's eyes were always on him no matter where he went. He hated having so much attention. Attention had only ever caused him trouble. Hell, it was what had gotten his parents interested in his life. That had been nice before they'd started meddling. Before he'd known what hit him, he was being carted off to be married just because that was what needed to be done. No one ever considered what _he_ wanted.

_What_ _**do**__ I want?_ Matt paused, struck by the fact that he finally had a chance to think about what he really wanted out of life . . . or, erm, death.

He glanced over at Akbar, who was still watching him with those deep, sad eyes, as if waiting for that final blow once again. Matt hated that look. He didn't like seeing Akbar so lifeless. So what if he was dead. Matt had seen more lively corpses in his time in the Land of the Dead than he'd seen in living people from his own realm. Akbar should be smiling, his eyes lit with laughter. _Matt_ wanted to give him those smiles. He wanted to give Akbar the life he'd always deserved.

_Hold on, hold on! Slow down._ Matt berated himself. _Let's think this through a little bit more before I decide to kill myself because some guy's got cute eyes. Pros and cons, Matt, pros and cons._

He rubbed his eyes, thinking it over. What did he have going for himself in life? He had his parents that he loved, but they were so annoying . . . Enh, they had each other. They'd be fine. His fiancée? Well, she had some boy toy, so she was set. What else did he have . . .?

Was that really it? Why the hell was his life so sad?! Trying to think more positively in a really morbid situation, he considered what his death would be like. He'd have a nice enough bar to hang out at. That Gilbert guy and Maddie girl seemed like they'd make nice enough friends. And Alfie . . .

Nope. Dying wouldn't work. He'd kill Alfie if he had to spend so much time around him. But, since he couldn't kill him, it was going to be a looonnng afterlife.

And then there was Akbar. Most of Matt's time here had been spent with him, so he knew the silver-haired man pretty well. He actually didn't mind being around Akbar too much. . . Akbar would make dealing with that douche worthwhile, actually. If he thought about it a little, he probably had a better time just with Akbar than with anyone he knew up in his world. The strange man had somehow managed to become important to Matt in a very short amount of time. That was something most people weren't capable of doing in years. But marriage was a huge step, and death was even bigger.

_Pros and Cons. . . ._

He thought of how happy he felt when he saw Akbar smile and laugh. How, despite being a corpse, Akbar's hands were still soft and fit perfectly in Matt's own. How it seemed like he made the things in Matt's life just a little more worthwhile.

Maybe eternity with Akbar wouldn't be too bad. . .

"Alright," Matt finally spoke, shrugging a bit.

Akbar blinked. "You're agreeing?"

"Yeah, I didn't have plans this weekend, anyway," Matt responded, a small smirk making its way across his face.

Despite himself, Akbar started laughing. His eyes shut as he chuckled, his hand raised in front of his mouth.

Matt grinned back at him. "So how about that wedding?"

**A/N: THERE'S ONLY ONE REASON THIS STORY HAS UPDATED AND THAT REASON IS OTHERWORLDLY ARTIST. GO THANK HER, STORY FOLLOWERS. JUST SEND HER RANDOM NICE MESSAGES. AND DON'T TELL HER I SENT YOU. **


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